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Product Description

For M83's chief star-gazer Anthony Gonzalez, his youth is something he looks back upon with affection, something that has become the defining theme of his enchanting new album, "Saturdays = Youth" Recorded with Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, Sugar Cubes, Cocteau Twins, Suede) and Ewan Pearson (Tracey Thorn, The Rapture, Ladytron) "Saturdays = Youth" delivers the rich sonic textures for which M83 is well known - this time with a more focused approach to song structure and form.

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For their fifth album, Saturdays = Youth, France's M83 conjures up the 1980s in all their candy-colored glory. Even the cover portrait, showcasing models in rolled-sleeve blazers, peg-leg pants, and pastel prom dresses, evokes John Hughes' high-school classics Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. In the liner notes, singer/multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez thanks the individuals who "made my teenager years so great!" and in "Graveyard Girl," he name-checks Molly Ringwald (he also takes a page from the Air playbook with allusions to stars, rockets, and other notebook-doodle favorites). There's a difference, however, between poaching from the past and recreating it. Despite the abundance of pretty-boy (and girl) vocals, oceanic keyboards, and big electronic beats--recalling '80s icons from Simple Minds to Kate Bush--Saturdays feels more like an affectionate tribute than a cynical carbon copy. Like the couple at the heart of "Kim and Jessie," Gonzalez is "crazy about romance and illusions," but all is not sweetness and light as a few numbers betray a Tim Burton-style Goth influence, which helps to alleviate any potential sugar shock. Saturdays = Youth is a precious gift from a secret admirer, wrapped in ambience and sealed with a blood-red kiss. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Top customer reviews

I've listened to all of m83s album and this one is my favorite.The album starts with "You, Appearing" which has a nice piano piece and progressively joined by a synth pad of ambient sound and anthony's voice. The song is very dreamlike and has a nostalgic feel. This is reversed with the next song which has more of a synth pop upbeat feel with "kim & jessie". Very likable song. It is followed by the "skin of the night" which has a great duet? of anthony and the Morgan Kibby's soothing voice. Kibby's voice is at the forefront song but I particularly like anthony's backdrop voice to hers which makes this song work. Is then followed by "Graveyard Girl", which again just like the beginning this album with the song "you appearing" followed by the upbeat song "kim & jessie" , graveyard girl is the upbeat response to skin of the night melancholic feel. Its got a nice beat and anthony's voice really makes this song deserve a repeat. This song is followed by the "Couleurs" which is has a long build up and has this trance like feel. Coleurs is anthony breaking away from the early songs of this album and going for a his signature synths. He still adds his vocals in a drone melodic like manner in the end of the song which elevates this song even more. Coulerus is followed by probably my least favorite song in this album "UP!" kibby has a very soothing voice and she is the main voice in this song, but I think this song is a bit cheesy and boring. I tend to skip this song a lot.We own the sky is a very nice song and has anthony and kibbys voice layered in this dreamlike feel. The song is followed with a more dreamepic of "highway of endless dreams" which i think the best way to describe this song is going down a tunnel really fast with lights passing by. The cacophony of voices and the drum build has this trance effect. It is following by "Too Late" a piece which has again a very melachonly nostalgic feel. It has a piano piece sound like you appearing but anthony's voice in this piece is more profound really makes this one of my favorites of this album.The song which I like most in this album has to be "Dark Moves of Love" everything about this song I like. The voice combo and the drum piece stand out in this song. Similarly, the lyrics albeit simple are powerful. This song is 2nd to my favorite song of M83 "run into flowers" from dead cities, red seas and lost ghosts. "Dark Moves of Love" is by far the best song in this album.Its is followed by a drone like song in "Midnight Souls still remain" that isn't much of a song but rather just ambient synth. Not much going on in this song.

Ranking from Favorite to least1) Dark Moves of Love2) Too Late3) Skin of the Night4) Highway of Endless Dreams5)Kim & Jessie6) You appearing7)Coleurs8) Graveyard girl9) We Own the sky10) UP!11) Midnight Souls still remain

From 0:01 it swipes you to a fantasy land of musical harmony. The opening piano notes followed by cheeky synthesizer transform tacky into beautiful. Guest vocalist Morgan Kibby kicks in very shortly to overwhelm you with her unearthly vocals. Think Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser but less emotionally draining. It's a beautiful journey.

TIPS: This is a very "clear" sounding production so do yourself a favor and be sure to use some nice open back headphones and an amplifier capable of detailed and punchy sound. I use AKG-Q701 that I got on sale here at Amazon and with a second generation Sony CD player (CDP-302). The MP3 version doesn't do justice to the sound.

Also keep the volume on the lower end as tempting as it might be to start powerfully, it will get there soon enough. Let the music get you there do't rush it. Let the album adventure unpack itself.

...probably I would have never bought it by the cover.. sometimes I did it.. you know.. cover for a cd is important!... should give you an idea of what you're gonna listen to...well, I found out of these guys as opening act for Depeche Mode, and I can tell I've been really impressed!!I began to see DM live in 1986 and I can say I never did like their opening act... these were the first I searched for when I got back home from the gig... and the search was worth itself......I can say that sometimes their melodies are even too simple, but they catch you, maybe for that reason too.. It sounds oldish... vintage synths... nothing new maybe or something alredy heard... but THIS album especially (because I bought the entire discography) is really flawless, from the first track, leading to one of their singles "Kim & Jassie" which became one of my favourites, also because I clearly recalled it from the gig!... the silliness and at-the-same-time majesty of the last trip.. sorry :-) last track: 10 minutes of 2 chords pad in loop....well... lyrics are just a little bit creepy but it's part of the game!....Don't know if you'll like it or not, BUT, to me, it's one of those cds that it's NOT listened once and then put away in a cd tower...BUY IT.. it's worth...

This is my first M83 album & fell in love with it after the first time I listed to the entire album. I had heard the song titled Couleurs via online radio so I took a chance at the entire album & love it! The song Couleurs is all instrumental, but the majority of the songs on this album have words & is somewhat dreamy; but overall, a very beautiful album that is one of my top favorite at the moment. Thank you M83!!

There's nothing terribly fancy about the packaging, but I appreciate of the inclusion of an actual CD so I can rip DRM-free MP3s for listening on the go. I'm relatively new to vinyl, do I don't quite get why the album is spread over two records. Do you get a better sound by only squeezing a couple of songs per side? If only there were some way to find out.

I can honestly say this is one of my favs of M83 album wise the only track they shouldn't have kept in the album would have to be #6 Up! Clean my Rockets what what!?!?! doesn't go with the albums mood at all in my opinion. So anyways hope you enjoy the cool rythems and synthesis awesomeness!